Labeling Solid Fabrics

When I was getting ready for a trunk show a few months ago, I realized something about myself. I make a lot of quilts with white fabric. I love using solid white to break up big prints and show off lots of color. But I’m trying to get out of my white comfort zone and expand my color palette, so I’ve been stocking up on additional solids in vibrant colors.

I have only one problem with this plan. I’ve been in the habit of thinking, “Oh I’ll remember what color it is if I need more.” And guess what? I never do. (I know. Shocker, right?) As I’m gradually maturing I’m coming to accept the fact that my impressive memory skills are no longer what they used to be. I needed a plan.

Here’s the perfect example of why this is a problem. Last fall when I started my Modern Maples quilt, I shopped my stash (good girl) and picked out linen/cotton blend solid I already had on hand. The only problem was/is, of course, I need more and I can’t remember what shade of Essex fabric I used. I’ve since tried guessing multiple times, ordering more yardage, and haven’t had success matching it (although I am beefing up my collection of Essex blends).

So I learned my lesson and when these new solids arrived at my house, I got out the label maker and started labeling my fabric. I don’t know why this idea took me so long. I share this, not as a great, mind-blowing novel idea, but as an admission of lowering my own pride and finally coming to terms with the fact that my memory does not have super powers. And obviously you don’t need a label maker to label your fabric – use a sharpie in the selvage if you want. Just do something. You’ll totally thank me one day. Or you’re already doing it and wondering what took me so long.

{Please pardon the graphic content of the above picture.} Speaking of the label maker, one day I lifted the toilet lid in our main-floor bathroom to find this. Ah, living with little boys. I think a certain 8-yr-old was getting carried away with the intoxicating powers of the label-maker. The funny thing was I forgot it was there after a day or two and later realized it had been on the toilet lid all through the holiday season when we had lots of family and company. I’m sure they thought we were very interesting… (?!?)

And with that, on to a few public service announcements:

If you’re looking for a way you can help those affected by the tragic events in Boston last week, check out the Boston Modern Quilt Guild blog. I love when there’s a way to channel our grief/frustration/innate-desire-to-do-something towards a good cause.

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And this will be a busy week on the blog – I’ve got stops on a couple of blog tours as well as block #5 of the Virtual Quilting Bee! Stay tuned.

39 Comments

This is so funny. I spent some time yesterday clipping little one inch squares out of my solids and taping/labeling them on a comic book board. I&#39;ve also found it useful to put larger amounts of yardage into an extra large ziplock bag with the color and yardage written on the bag. I just change the yardage amount as I use it. It helps a lot!

Yes, I have to label my solids as well. I write the name in the selvage and as I cut from the piece, rewrite it on the remaining fabric. Probably not the most efficient method, but it seems to work for me:)

i have begun writing the name of the solid on a scrap of calico and safety pinning it to the fabric. I got caught out with a white fabric, Still don&#39;t know what it was and then needed more of something else. I ordered 3 different lots of kona before i discovered it was a Moda Bella, &quot;stone&quot;. Much easier and cheaper to lable

My sewing machine sews fonts. One of my teenagers embroidered on a towel &#39;face&#39; on one end and &#39;bum&#39; on the other. Our label maker is used all the time. Including the label that has been placed on it that says &#39;label maker&#39;. They&#39;re just too much fun.

Yep! I label mine too. And as a mom of 2 boys, I immediately recognized the &quot;potty humor&quot; LOL We also have boy-produced labels on light switches, bunk beds, toys, etc… I think every English teacher should hand out label makers to her students for spelling practice ;-).

The toilet label is awesome! My parents&#39; house featured an old trash compactor (a relic of the 80s!) One day, my younger brother decided to make a small sign for it that said &quot;Bone Crusher.&quot; It stayed on there for YEARS. We didn&#39;t really think much of it, until guests would do a double take. 🙂

I just started writing in the selvage for solids as I kept forgetting what brand and color they were too! Sunday I ran out of white when I was almost finished with a quilt and am hoping that what I was using was Kona white as that&#39;s what I just ordered 6 yards of!

I totally use my label maker to label my solids. Never used for *that* though. <br /><br />When I was in my last couple of years at school I rowed, and the winter races are &#39;head of the river&#39; races, just known as &#39;heads&#39;. Our first race was coming up, so I had noted on our little magnetised whiteboard thing on the fridge &#39;Head in Tewkesbury November 4th&#39; to which my

I Sharpie-in-the-selvage. But I do use the label maker for lots of other things, and when my oldest was first learning to read, I labeled all over the house (mine is the old crimping style that peels right off) with the names of everything. Except the toilet, actually, but I should have!

Oh Amy you are way too funny, as is your little boy. There are much worse thing that could happen, your guests would have had something to smile about while they went about their business at least. Great idea for remembering the names of the solids – I too suffer from not remembering sometimes.

I&#39;m chuckling at you here. I quickly realized this very same problem when I started to use a bunch of Kona White and Kona Snow. In the evenings especially it is hard to tell them apart. So I started labeling them with a post it note attached with a pin. <br /><br />I have yet to decide which reader to switch to but I need to figure it out soon. I don&#39;t want to wait until the last minute.

I ordered a couple different shades of solid white and off-white recently and had the same concern, so I wrote the brand and color name on the selvage of each piece with an extra fine point Sharpie (so it wouldn&#39;t come out when I prewashed). I like to prewash fabric before it goes into my stash, and since these whites were all going into the wash together I knew I&#39;d never be able to tell

Sorry, the label on your toilet had me rolling with laughter. I blame it on the fact that I have 3 brothers and 1 son–I always giggle at potty humor. <br /><br />Great idea about labeling solids–I need to do that! With linens for stitching I would staple the info written on a piece of paper into the selvage but this would work much better.

I label my solids too. One time I bought a ton of solid Kona fabric at JoAnns when it was on sale. The lady cutting gave me a weird look when I asked for tape and a pen and taped the name on each piece as she cut it. 🙂

I seriously thought &quot;poo&quot; and &quot;pee&quot; Were labels for two different colors of fabric. All I could think was, &quot;Shouldn&#39;t One of those be Browner?<br /><br />Please excuse the weird capitalization. My iPhone is being very weird.

Very true about forgetting the fabric names that is a wonderful idea to label the fabric. Its always nice when someone comes up with an idea that helps any of keep with our fabric. It also is something that help someone organize there fabric better.

Great idea on labeling solids! I&#39;ve often wondered why the manufacturers don&#39;t label solids in the selvage as they do prints. Your post made me wonder why I didn&#39;t think of that!<br /><br />As for little boys and the label maker – well, I&#39;m sure this isn&#39;t the last time that their idea of humor will cause some, um, embarrassment. But it did make me laugh! And remember the

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